What You Can Do to Help You Make Completion of Lab Assignments Easy

What You Can Do to Help You Make Completion of Lab Assignments EasyIf you have an upcoming chemistry class, I recommend that you make a list of all the chemistry topics that will be covered in this upcoming term. If you are looking for a particular subject or topic, you can go online and search for it. If you know which lab sections you plan to cover, then you can consider researching which type of lab best fits your class. This is a great time to look at your life and determine what kind of resources you might use to complete assignments in your lab, so make sure you take the time to think about what you can do and what you want to do.One thing you can do to help you make sure that you can complete each assignment in your lab is to determine how you will determine which projects you need to complete first and which will only need to be tackled after all the others are completed. Often times, students rush through their assignments because they simply feel overwhelmed by the amount o f information they are given. However, a common assumption is that an assignment will come easy and you won't have to really pay attention to it. In most cases, you will need to do a lot of homework and try to understand each step and problem before you can successfully complete the assignment.Students need to think carefully about which parts of the assignment they need to complete first before they decide which part of the assignment they should tackle next. What if you don't have the time to complete each of the different options? This is the perfect time to tell your teacher that you have other projects that are more important and need to wait until the next class.Another option that you can consider is to choose a project that will only need to be completed during your lab. For example, if you have a choice between making a painting or writing up an essay, I suggest that you complete your essay assignment as soon as possible. You may even be able to skip the project for the lab because of this.The lab assignments are not typically very detailed, especially the chemistry lab. There are a few ways to help make sure that you can complete your lab. In my own lab, I like to choose certain topics that will require some research and focus on them. In my lab, I try to make sure that I understand as much as possible about the topic that I am working on, so that I can easily go back and get further clarification and instruction.As I mentioned earlier, it is a good idea to consider what projects you may want to focus on next. Make sure that you research which projects are going to take the most time to complete, and how they will benefit you. After all, not every project will be fun and engaging.Make sure that you make yourself familiar with the chemistry labs that you will be assigned. Make sure that you understand the assignments that you are going to be given and make sure that you choose the project that is right for you.

Changing Principals To Change Schools

Changing Principals To Change Schools Obama and Arne Duncan are trying to raise the bar for everyone in education teachers, administrators, and now principals.In an effort for full reform, they are now looking at principals, threatening to replace many of them, according to an article in the District Administration. The government is providing a $3.5 billion fund to underachieving schools if they meet certain achievement benchmarks. If schools fail to meet these benchmarks, then they will be forced to make major reforms or surrender their share of funding. Underachieving schools will be forced to replace their principal, half of their teaching staff, close down entirely and transfer students to higher-achieving schools or close down and reopen as a charter school to still be considered for the funding. About 74% of underachieving schools would be eligible for part of the $3.5 billion grant under the transformational model of reform. With this model, schools would have to let the government overhaul instruction, evaluation systems and other school operations. On top of all that, they would have to replace their principals Many education administrators are wondering where all the new principals will come from if many of them are laid off. A dearth of qualified replacements could simply lead to more problems, lasting for years. A 2009 study, Tenure and Retention of Newly Hired Principals in Texas states that about half of newly-hired high school principals stay for three years, and a 2003 report from the University of Washington, A Matter of Definition: Is There Truly a Shortage of School Principals? suggests that many superintendents said there is a lack of principals with the necessary, strong leadership qualities. The role of the principal will have to evolve heavily for America to enhance its education system. Principals will need to become proficient in data analysis to improve teachers performance, public relations skills to inform the community and parents about school achievements and employ best practices in education. These are skills that most qualified principals already have, but average and subpar principals will have to learn new skills and learn them rapidly. Many grassroots organizations have taken up this cause, creating training programs for principals.

To Cram or Not to Cram A Guide to the Week Before Your MCAT

To Cram or Not to Cram A Guide to the Week Before Your MCAT MCAT Medical School Admissions It has been close to a hundred days, or at least it feels that way. You’re a week away from something you have been anxiously planning and studying for, your Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Students in this last week of studying often reach one of two emotional states: anxiety or exhaustion. In this article we will discuss how to best combat these two common stages in the study process and how to utilize that final week prior to taking your admissions test. Studying for almost three months for one test is no easy feat. It is easy to feel anxiety for most students, especially when they are behind on their study schedule or not meeting their goals. While a week out is cutting it pretty close in evaluating progress, it is important to evaluate these feelings as they come. Anxiety may be well founded and the student may want to consider postponing their test if there is a great disparity between their target scores or study schedule and how the student is actually performing. However, for most students this is not the case. The anxiety often comes from the looming threat of a big exam and the potential outcomes that come with it. Many students experiencing this launch into what I like to like to call “hyperdrive” mode or a “knee jerk reaction”. Students will tell me that they took multiple practice exams the week before, crammed and stayed up all night studying. While this may seem like a solution, it can lead to burnout and poor test performance. Cramming for a college final may have produced results in the past. But for an exam that tests your ability to integrate topics and apply knowledge like the MCAT as compared to discrete facts on a college final, cramming is often not beneficial. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) agree that cramming does not work. Students who perform well despite their anxiety often report that they continued with their MCAT study schedule and reviewed as planned. Remember, the MCAT is a marathon not a sprint. In the same vein, students often exhaust themselves prior to their MCAT. Whether it is due to cramming the week before the exam or a long term study schedule without enough breaks, exhaustion can strongly impact exam performance. For students in this stage, it is essential to figure out the cause of exhaustion. Whether it is a personal event in your life or over-stimulation from studying, students should try to reflect on their current status to find the root of the issue. Many students also find ways to motivate themselves through the exam by scheduling something fun for the following day or even rewarding themselves with something they enjoy, whether it be food or retail therapy. Exhaustion can be completely debilitating and is something that students will face as medical students, residents, and even as attending physicians. Coping mechanisms developed now will ensure your ability to combat future problems. So now that you have addressed the two biggest issues in the final week of test preparation, how should you spend this last week prior to your exam? There are a variety of approaches to this week and anecdotally each medical student will tell you something slightly different. In my case, I spent the week prior to my exam lightly reviewing my own personal notes. I took my last practice exam two weeks prior to the MCAT because I did not want to exhaust myself by taking an eight-hour practice test prior to taking the actual MCAT. In addition, an adverse score two weeks prior to your MCAT can impact your mental status and affect future performance based on ‘pre-test jitters’. I also took practice passages throughout the week to maintain my timing, especially for the CARS section (check out Jack Westin’s blog if you need ideas for more MCAT practice passages). Overall, use this week to brush up on things that you have struggled with throughout your test prep and give it one last look before you exam so that it is fresh in your mind. Addressing these stages of your preparation and preparing as planned should put you on the right track to perform well on your exam. Best of luck! About the Author Jordan Salley is one of MyGuru's most accomplished MCAT tutors. Clickhereto learn more! Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jesscross/4092317144

Absenteeism and a Cooperative-Learning Attendance Policy for ESL

Absenteeism and a Cooperative-Learning Attendance Policy for ESL Absenteeism and Anxiety By Smash the Iron Cage (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons There are plenty of good reasons to skip class: if you have a contagious disease or have a doctor’s appointment that you cannot reschedule, if car trouble or bad weather interferes with your commute, or if you are flat broke and need to work an extra shift to make rent and avoid eviction. Most people would understand if you had to miss a lesson under these circumstances. Surprisingly, these are not the reasons most university students give for cutting class. Students at one university rated low-quality lectures as the most important reason, followed by deadlines for other academic work, the lecturer’s inability to entertain, a lack of sleep, and attendance  being  unnecessary due to the availability of lecture notes outside of class (Clay Breslow, 2006). These are the reasons students will admit to. But what about hidden reasons? Absenteeism and Anxiety If students skip their English as a Second Language (ESL) class frequently, it could be a sign of language anxiety. Other indications of anxiety related to learning a second language include coming to class late, arriving unprepared, avoiding speaking in English, not volunteering, and the apparent inability to answer even very simple questions (Oxford, 1999). Research has shown that speaking provokes more anxiety than any other form of communication (MacIntyre Gardner, 1991; McCroskey Richmond, 1982), with some speaking tasks provoking more anxiety than others. Koch and Terrell (1991) report that most students find oral presentations to be the most anxiety-inducing activities in an ESL course. With that in mind, teachers can reduce language anxiety by assigning fewer oral presentations, by employing ice-breakers, where students learn each other’s names on the first day, and by including lesson-warmers, such as a game to help students relax at the start of a lesson (Dornyei Malde rez, 1999). Students can reduce their own language anxiety just by coming to class. Greater frequency of language use is linked to lower levels of language anxiety (Baker MacIntyre, 2000). Absenteeism and Failure Reducing anxiety is only one good reason to attend your ESL course on a regular basis. There is another good reason: you might fail. Two studies (Colby, 2004; Newman-Ford, Fitzgibbon, Lloyd, Thomas, 2008) found that 80% attendanceâ€"attending only 12 classes in a 15 week semesterâ€"produced a 50% chance of failing lecture-based courses. A 70% attendance rateâ€"attending 11 classes in 15 weeksâ€"produced a 66% chance of failure. For interactive ESL courses, missing a single week made ESL students 3 times more likely to answer a content question incorrectly and caused a 7-8 times greater chance of getting the target structure wrong during a test (Fay, Aguirre, Gash, 2013). These are compelling statistics for going to class, so why do rational-minded students miss class? The truth is that it is difficult to be rational when comparing the immediate benefit of getting more time away from class and the remote danger of one missed lesson (Romer, 1994 as cited by Koppenhaver, 2006). Collaborative Learning A more immediate reason is that your classmates need you. They need you to come to class so that they can get to know you, and they need to get to know you before they can trust you. Only after they know you and trust you will you be able to work together efficiently and productively as a group. In other words, group productivity depends upon group cohesiveness (Evans Dion, 1991), and the cohesiveness of the group depends upon the amount of time group members spend together (Dornyei Malderez, 1999). Cutting class reduces the overall productivity of the team, reducing the ability of group members to learn from each other in collaborative learning environments.  Reseach shows that not only do absentee-prone students perform worse on their exams and homework assignments, their absence causes the other team members to score lower on their exams and homework as well (Koppenhaver, 2006). Oral Exams The problem becomes much  more acute  during interactive speaking exams, evaluations that require the active participation of one or more partners. English Second Language courses often employ collaborative speaking exams, where students are required to exchange information with each other using the target language. The interactivity makes for a more valid exam since competence in a second language is the ability to participate effectively in an exchange of meaningful and appropriate messages. However, since absentee-prone students come to the exam knowing less and producing more errors, their noticeably ill-prepared, ill-informed answers and incorrect grammar during the exam make them less effective conversational partners. Implicit Learning Research into implicit learning reveals another, less obvious way that absentee-prone students make exams more difficult for their partners. There is a tendency for people to reproduce a structure encountered in recent discourse, even if they do not notice that it was used (McDonough Mackey, 2008). In other words, what you hear, whether you consciously notice it or not, activates the area of your brain where related sounds, concepts, and  structures are stored, creating the tendency for you to want to repeat what you heard. This phenomenon is called priming, and you can see it at work in this fun experiment    (as suggested by Dornyei, 2009). Ask your friend to say the word “silk” five times and then ask him immediately afterward, “What do cows drink?” Most likely, your friend will say “milk” because the sound of the word “silk” and the concepts “cow” and “drink” activate the concept “milk” in your friends brain. A more logical answer to the question is â €œwater” since that is what cows drink most, but that is not what people tend to say. Now imagine that the target is not the word milk but a sentence containing the Present Perfect Progressive such as, I have been studying Diagnostic Imaging for two years. In the context of an exam, absentee-prone students are less likely to prime their partners to remember the complex grammar and specific vocabulary needed to pass the interactive exam. Attendance Policy Seeing how absenteeism negatively affects classmates explicit and implicit learning opportunities and performance on interactive exams, what policies should teachers and colleges put in place? If you think about the effect of absenteeism on individual students only, it is tempting to emphasize students’ right to self-direction, trusting in their capacity to make wise choices. Students will learn through trial and error that their attendance affects their success. However, in light of research into cooperative learning environments where students learn from each other, we know that cutting class is a bad choice for both the individual and the group. It would be irresponsible for teachers to adopt such a laissez-faire attitude, knowing how absentee-prone students reduce group productivity and negatively affect their partners performance on interactive exams. A collaborative-learning attendance policy would require the student who misses multiple cooperative learning activities in an English course to be ejected from the course permanently because of the negative effect their absence and subsequent return has on the group. Instead of saying, “You are an adult now. Do what you want,” ESL teachers should make it clear that cutting class is highly uncooperative behavior that harms the other students. To be consistent, if teachers are going to use collaborative-learning activities and evaluations in their classrooms, they should also set a collaborative-learning attendance policy. They should tell students on the first day of the semester, If you intend to cut class, do us all a favor and dont come back. References Baker, S. C., MacIntyre, P. D. (2000). The role of gender and immersion in communication and  second language orientations.  Language Learning,  (50), 311â€"341. Clay, T., Breslow, L. (2006). Why students don’t attend class.  MIT Faculty Newsletter,  18(4).  Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/184/breslow.html Colby, J. (2004). Attendance and attainment. Presented at the Fifth Annual Conference of the  Information and Computer Sciencesâ€"Learning and Teaching Support Network (ICN-LTSN),  University  of Ulster. Retrieved from http://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/sysapl/www.ics.ltsn.ac.uk/events/conf2004/programme.htm Dornyei, Z. (2009).  The psychology of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University  Press. Dornyei, Z., Malderez, A. (1999). The role of group dynamics in foreign language learning and  teaching. In J. Arnold (Ed.),  Affect in Language Learning  (pp. 155â€"169). Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press. Evans, C. R., Dion, K. L. (1991). Group cohesion and performance: a meta-analysis.  Small Group    Research,  2(2), 175â€"186. http://doi.org/10.1177/1046496491222002 Fay, R. E., Aguirre, R. V., Gash, P. W. (2013). Absenteeism and language learning: does missing  class matter?  Journal of Language Teaching and Research,  4(6), 1184â€"1190. Koch, A., Terrell, T. (1991). Affective reactions of foreign language students to Natural Approach  activities and teaching techniques. In E. K. Horowitz D. J. Young (Eds.),  Language Anxiety:  From Theory and Research to Classroom Implications. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Koppenhaver, G. D. (2006). Absent and accounted for: Absenteeism and cooperative learning.  Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education,  4(1), 29â€"49. MacIntyre, P. D., Gardner, R. C. (1991). Methods and results in the study of anxiety in language  learning: A review of the literature.  Language Learning, (41), 85â€"117. McCroskey, J. C., Richmond, V. P. (1982). Communication apprehension and shyness: Conceptual  and operational distinctions.  Central States Speech Journal, (33), 458â€"468. McDonough, K., Mackey, A. (2008). Syntactic priming and  esl  question development.  Studies in  Second Language Acquisition, (30), 31â€"47. http://doi.org/10.10170S0272263108080029 Newman-Ford, L., Fitzgibbon, K., Lloyd, S., Thomas, S. (2008). A large-scale investigation into  the relationship between attendance and attainment: a study using an innovative,  electronic  attendance  monitoring system.  Studies in Higher Education,  33(6), 699â€"717. Oxford, R. L. (1999). Anxiety and the language learner: new insights.  In J. Arnold (Ed.)  Affect in   Language Learning  (pp. 58â€"67). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Please follow and like us:

4 Places to Look for Retail Jobs This Holiday Season

4 Places to Look for Retail Jobs This Holiday Season pexels.com USPS USPS can be a great place to work during the holiday season! They have a large variety of different jobs you can work from driving to customer service to mail handlers. According to Monster, they hire around 40,000 seasonal workers each year so you have a great chance to be hired when they are looking to hire so many new employees. Bryan, a driver for USPS, said, “The nice thing is that everybody likes to receive a gift. So, when their package arrives, they’re just glowing, they’re happy to see you, and it’s a nice feeling to know that this person wants me to come to see them and deliver their package.” HoneyBaked Ham Do not underestimate the power of ham, especially around the holiday season. Hundreds of thousands of hams are ordered from this company each year, if not millions, and it takes a lot of hands on deck in order to accommodate such a large number of orders. Monster reports that they hire up to 12,000 seasonal workers each year. And working there might be a really great stepping stone for you as the company is really focused on not just giving employees a job but tailoring their experience so that they really get something out of it. As their website says, “Part of our great culture is nurturing an environment where our associates can develop in their strength areas and grow in their personal and professional development. We have many career success stories where hourly field associates have gone on to multi-until and corporate leadership positions. We are looking for talented individuals to join our team.” pexels.com Amazon Last holiday season, Amazon hired more than 120,000 seasonal workers. 120,000 workers! That is a huge amount of seasonal workers, so there is no reason that you should not try and slip your application in to be considered for such a large pool of jobs. All you need to be eligible for such a position is to be over the age of 18 and have a high school diploma, GED, or another equivalent. The majority of college students should fit the criteria, so you are already halfway there! Amazon also usually hires in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In a press release, Mike Roth, Amazon Vice President of Global Customer Fulfillment said, “Last year alone,  more than 14,000  seasonal employees  stayed on in regular, full-time positions after the holidays  and we expect to increase that number this year,” so you have a pretty good chance of retaining such a position if you want to! Target Target is a staple shopping stop for many college students, so why not work for a store and company you adore? In 2016, they hired more than 75,000 workers to work the holiday season. Last year, this is what the company’s chief stores officer, Janna Potts, had to say: “The Target team is famous for serving up exceptional shopping experiences. We can’t wait to welcome new seasonal team members on board to help us make the holidays extra bright for our guests. And new this year, all of our 1,800 stores will host dedicated hiring events in October, meeting with thousands of prospective candidates in just 48 hours.” These events will likely be springing up soon this fall too, so keep an eye out for that!

Uloop Morning Mix Hurricane Irma, Michigan State controversy and the angry white college graduate

Uloop Morning Mix Hurricane Irma, Michigan State controversy and the 'angry white college graduate' Hurricane Irmas exact path is still unclear. (Image: YouTube screenshot/CNN) Hurricane Irma gained strength in the Atlantic overnight and was upgraded to a Category 5 storm early Tuesday. The powerful storm, with 175 mph winds, is heading straight for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The Tampa Bay Times (Florida) reports this morning that, A hurricane warning remains in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other Caribbean locations, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a preemptive state of emergency during Mondays Labor Day holiday, allowing emergency management officials to start preparations. Irmas path is still largely unclear, but many forecasters have the storm heading for southern Florida later this week. MICHIGAN STATE FACES A LAWSUIT OVER REFUSAL TO RENT SPACE TO WHITE NATIONALIST White nationalist Richard Spencer attempted to rent space for an event on Michigan State Universitys campus later this month, but the university blocked the move. According to a report from the Associated Press that was published by Yahoo News, An 11-page lawsuit filed Sunday night in U.S. District Court in western Michigan contends that the East Lansing schools refusal to rent a conference room or lecture hall to a Spencer supporter on security grounds violates free speech and other constitutional rights. A student from Georgia State University is  behind the lawsuit, according to AP: The legal action against the 50,000-student university was taken on behalf of Georgia State University student Cameron Padgett, the one who tried to rent the space for Spencer. It asks for a preliminary injunction forcing MSU to reverse its decision, as well as $75,000 in damages. Both Texas AM and The University of Florida have moved to block events by white nationalist groups and MSU cited the events in Charlottesville as a factor in their decision. More developments in the case are expected this week. WILL 2018 BE THE YEAR OF THE ANGRY WHITE COLLEGE GRADUATE? (Image: Pixabay) David Wasserman, writing for Five-Thirty Eight, says that  the 2018 midterm election could feature the most college-educated electorate in American history. His key insight is this: Midterm elections are almost always a  referendum  on the party in the White House. And although college-educated whites narrowly supported Trump over Hillary Clinton last November, there’s evidence they are now among his most intense detractors. If you enjoy political forecasting getting geeky about how things could play out in both the 2018 and 2020 elections, read the whole story here. AND FINALLY ON THIS TUESDAY, THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SAVING SPACE IN YOUR DORM Um, dude move your stuff. (Image: Getty) Ohio States Elana Goodwin is here with tips and tricks to maximize space in your, um, space. Including the all-important desk organization section. Read all four suggestions here. Thanks for reading hope our Tuesday is great and remember: Hump Day is only one day away, whoo-hoo!

Packing Your Life Into One 50-Pound Suitcase

Packing Your Life Into One 50-Pound Suitcase By Dorothee RemboldAt the airport, you see a girl with a 50 pound backpack on her back, 25 pound carry-on backpack in the front, and ski boots over her shoulder in the middle of summer, kicking a duffel bag across the tiles. What would you think? If you are moving all your belongings abroad, you understand. How do you decide what to take and what to leave behind? I was spending only six months in Europe, but even packing for such a short time seemed impossible. The following strategy helped me to successfully take everything I needed:1. Double check how much the airline allows you to take Most airlines let you take a 50 pound bag, a carry-on, and a laptop bag or purse on international flights, but there are always ways to bend the rules a little. You can often take additional luggage for a fee. This can come in handy, as shipping things overseas is expensive.2. Find the lightest possible bags The weight of your luggage is limited, so why waste it by taking a suitcase that weighs 20 p ounds? Duffel bags are a pain to travel with, but may be worth it. I ended up taking a backpack that I could have hiked Mt. Everest with, only I could barely lift it off the ground.3. Think about what you’ll need What kind of clothes will you need? What’s the weather like? Will you need to bring sheets and towels? My plan was to go skiing, backpack through Turkey, and work in a business setting while abroad, requiring me to take a lot of different clothes.4. Pack the essentials first Take the things that you can’t live without, including appropriate attire, teaching materials and electronics. Make sure to also think about upcoming holidays and small items that remind you of home. Try to keep your carry-on light, and don’t bank on it to fit everything your suitcase can’t. Filling it up will never be a problem. And don’t forget to check what you will need to make your electronics work abroad. Voltages and outlets differ internationally!5.  Surprise! You have too much stuff . What now? I thought I was ready to go, everything squeezed into the backpack, but the scale told me that my bag was 20 pounds too heavy. So here’s my tip: Throw out everything you haven’t touched for the past year. You can live without it for another year, so leave it behind. If the bag is still too heavy, it’s time to get creative! Wear as much as you can on the flight - but keep in mind that you have to carry everything if you get too warm. In my case, this meant throwing my ski boots over my shoulder. Worst case scenario, I would wear them as I walked on the plane.6. None of this worked? Consider shipping some items that you won’t need immediately, but remember you will probably have even more belongings the next time you move. This is your chance to downsize. You can live with a lot less than you think, so only take what you’ll really use and enjoy the adventure. Good luck packing!Dorothee Rembold is an intern at Teach Away Inc.